Dr. Ken Arnold, President of the Ontario Medical Association, "Certainly putting people with young, healthy lungs in a tin box and having someone light up just seems so unfair to those children."

The province joins Nova Scotia and several American states that have similar bans in place. British Columbia has passed a ban on smoking in cars when children under 16 are present, but it is not yet in force. New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.)are considering similar bans, with the P.E.I. legislature expected to take action this spring. The U.S. states of Maine, California, Arkansas and Louisiana have passed similar laws, as has Puerto Rico.